Woman kicks and tramples poppy wreaths at war memorial

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Manchester Council has released CCTV footage of a woman kicking over poppy wreaths commemorating the Battle of the Somme.

The clip shows the woman apparently leaning down to read messages written on the wreaths at the memorial in Manchester’s St Peter's Square.

She then walks along, trampling over and kicking several of the wreaths.

A woman was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning on suspicion of racially-aggravated criminal damage.

A police spokesman said: “A 21-year-old female who was arrested last night for kicking and trampling on the wreaths at the cenotaph has now been issued with a caution for public order.

“She was extremely remorseful and couldn’t believe her actions once she sobered up this morning and was shown the CCTV footage.”

Councillor Pat Karney, city centre spokesman for Manchester City Council, told the BBC: "The protection of our cenotaph is of the utmost importance to Manchester and the message is plain - if you vandalise this monument to those who gave their lives for this country, we will catch you in the act and work with the police to make sure that you are punished."

Last month a 31-year-old man was fined £90 following a similar incident, in which he was also caught on CCTV performing a "running kick" at poppy wreaths on the same memorial.